Cynthia Eng becomes Chief Communications Officer; John Benson named interim Chief Human Resources Officer; and Chief Financial Officer Leo Sinicin named interim Chief Information Officer
NEW YORK – Skanska USA, one of the world’s leading construction and development firms, announced three promotions on the USA Management Team. Cynthia Eng has been promoted to Chief Communications Officer (CCO); John Benson named interim Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO); and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Leo Sinicin named interim Chief Information Officer (CIO). They will report directly to Richard Kennedy, Executive Vice President of Skanska AB and President and Chief Executive Officer of Skanska USA.
In her new role as CCO, Eng will be responsible for Skanska’s internal and external communications, public relations, crisis management and brand strategies across the US. She has held multiple leadership roles with the company, most recently overseeing the Northeast marketing group for Skanska’s building operations, where she developed target client messaging, branding and storytelling to secure some of Skanska’s largest projects.
“As a key member of our marketing organization, Cynthia has interacted extensively with the front lines of our US construction and development operations to pursue and win work. She’s keenly tuned into what we do and what makes us successful,” Kennedy said. “Her direct customer focus and experience will bring a new perspective to our communications strategies, and I am looking forward to her contributions.”
Benson, stepping in as interim CHRO, will lead and evaluate the overall organization, strategy and direction of our Human Resources (HR) team to ensure it supports the company’s day-to-day operations and Skanska’s talent.
Benson has been with Skanska for 15 years. In his most recent role as Executive Vice President, he was responsible for overseeing HR, Communications and Information Technology for Skanska’s infrastructure development operations out of Alexandria, VA. In previous roles with the company, Benson served in leading positions in HR as a member of Skanska’s West Coast Management Team for the company’s civil operations, as well as the Senior Leadership Team for Skanska’s US building operations.
“John is steadfast in his belief that Skanska’s success depends entirely on the growth and success of our people,” Kennedy said. “With a genuine passion for people, his focus is on recruiting, retaining, supporting and developing the best talent in our industry and ensuring everything we do in HR is geared to this end. John’s first priority is to make sure our employees have the support they need to be successful.”
In his expanded role as interim CIO, Sinicin will take this opportunity to assess the technology needs of the organization, and determine a course forward, making sure the national IT team is aligned with Skanska’s core business and the growing demands of the industry.
Sinicin has 23 years with the company and has worked closely with the company’s IT operations, systems, and investment decisions. He also plays an active leadership role on various IT councils in the US and globally for Skanska.
“Leo will ensure we chart a path to meet our most critical demands, making smart and practical investments in IT that support our business now and over the long term,” Kennedy said. “We need to continue to offer better solutions to our customers while managing and leveraging the enormous volumes of data we create and process each day.”
Eng will be based in New York, Benson will be based in Alexandria, and Sinicin will be based in Parsippany.